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Secret Nail & Beauty Supply
Category: Beauty and Spas Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Shopping Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Cosmetics & Beauty Supply [Edit]
1339 KingswayVancouver, BC V5V 3E3
Neighbourhood: Kensington-Cedar Cottage
(604) 876-8888
- By Appointment Only:
- No
2 reviews for Secret Nail & Beauty Supply
2 reviews in English
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Review from Cyndi H.
Vancouver, BC
10/26/2010
This is a random little storefront on Kingsway near Clark that has remained under my radar for a long time. Finally venturing in to this establishment I discovered a pretty big store! It's filled with aesthetics supplies (massage chairs, nail dryers, etc) that a normal gal such as myself wouldn't need. And not being up on the costs of all these things, I'm not sure if their supplies are a good deal. The store was empty of customers so I'm not sure how they survive.
I saw 6-way nail buffers for just a couple of bucks and I know I've spent more on those in the past. A pack of 10 eyelashes? $10! I think I could be willing to have spider eyes at that price! They also had Opi nail polishes for super reasonable prices as well as Opi hand lotion. My sister and I tried the lotion and were really impressed. For the rest of the day couldn't stop noticing how amazing our hands felt. If you're into doing your own nails (I'm too lazy) come check this place out! -
Review from Lex C.
Coquitlam, BC
1/17/2010
I am relentless when it comes to shopping sometimes - if there's a certain item I really want, I will go to great lengths to get ahold of it. Lately, I've had a thing for nail polish. And I'm finding the cheap drugstore brands are not really cutting it in terms of quality or colour choice. And I'm also finding that I have a very hard time spending upwards of ten dollars for a bottle of nail polish, so that elminates Spehora or going to salons to pick up OPI. As well, the drugstore brands are not really all that cheap - still six or seven bucks for crappy brands like Revlon.
So I searched and researched, and from some random message board I heard about this place. I managed to find a parking spot on Kingsway, went in and was blown away. Immediately I was confronted by several huge displays of nail polish - all salon-quality brands! Not only did they have OPI, for six bucks a bottle instead of the usual ten, but they have my favorite brand of nail polish - China Glaze! This brand is so easy to find in the states, but barely any salons even carry it up here, let alone drug or retail stores. And the one salon I found that did stock it was charging between $9-$12 a bottle. Secret Nail and Beauty Supply sells them for $4 each! And these are very, very good quality polishes with a huge range of colours, an awesome formula that (in general) applies extremely well and lasts without chipping, and are free of those three bad chemicals that I don't remember the name of and am too lazy to google. The only reason this isn't worth five stars alone is because the selection of colours they do have is not complete. They didn't stock any of the newer China Glaze polishes that I had on my want list, and the Seche Vite top coat I was specifically looking for was sold out. When I inquired as to when they were planning to get more, the sales girl was unsure. Also, they had a whole rack of striping nail art polishes, but they were sold out of white. Which is the one colour I needed, and the only colour anyone ever uses :(
This place also sells all sorts of salon and esthetic equipment, as well as a whole assortment of hair products, and some makeup. From what I overheard other customers asking about, I also understand that they sell some kinds of hard-to-find makeup that you'd otherwise have to order online - like tubular mascara, certain specialized skin products from other countries and etc. I didn't spend a whole lot of time browsing beyond the front section of the store, where all the nail polish is - mainly because I'm not any sort of industry professional and I have no use for most of the items, but it seems they had a very vast selection.
Basically, if you like nail polish, doing your own nails and nail art, and you purchase it somewhat often and don't already have a good online source to order it (or don't want to pay shipping), its worth coming here. The store is supposedly "not open to the public", but you don't need a license to shop here - they will allow you to puchase a one-year membership for $10. If you do have your beauty or esthetician license, you don't have to worry about that, of course, but anyone can purchase a membership and shop here. And like I said, if you buy nail polish even a few times a year and like good quality polishes, its worth it. If anyone else knows anywhere else that sells China Glaze polish, or OPI for six bucks a bottle, please let me know.
